Jake remembers when he was still an innocent kid, just waiting for something exciting to happen in the summer between elementary school and junior high school. The excitement was Malia, who just moved in to the house across the street.

This is Jake’s story. He and his closest friends, Charlie, Beth, and Emma, have been together from the beginning as toddlers, until Malia joined their group that summer. Their summer began with the metamorphosis of their playhouse into The Fort. This special place holds their deepest and darkest secrets, from childhood to adulthood. Growing and experiencing countless adventures through junior high and high school, they returned to The Fort on graduation night to say good-bye to each other, to The Fort, and to their childhood.

Returning to their high school reunion after going to college, working, and loving others, they have become different. Altered by life and adulthood, they have experienced life, death, and everything in between. And what if the one person who Jake thought he could always count on has changed and is keeping a devastating secret? Would that secret tear them apart?

The book was written in Jake’s perspective and reading a whole novel in a male perspective was new to me! It was really fun and interesting to know how a boy’s mind work. There are some lines wherein Jake would comment on how a girl would act and instead of being offended, I felt guilty because what was written in the book was true! I laughed hard, especially while reading about their adventures when they were kids.

I did not have a hard time reading the book because it was easy to understand and easy to get into. If I would be given a day, I could finish the book in one sitting! It has three parts: when they were kids, teenagers and the adult years. I loved every single part of the book, especially the teen years!!! I loved the transition from being kids to teens. It was just amazing that they could stay as friends all throughout those years.

The only thing that bothers me is that the book has so many characters that it confused me. Sometimes, the scene is very detailed and the sudden appearance of new characters and it became overwhelming. It was my first time reading a book with more scenes than the conversation! But instead of those being a negative thing about the book, it added into the uniqueness of the book.

It’s been a week after I’ve read this but I can still vividly remember the details of how jealous I was with the characters because this book is the real #FriendshipGoals.

“I called her Bossy Beth, not to her face, only in my head.”

“On second thought, the eight-legged creature was most likely a girl, because that’s what girls do: sulk and pout.”